4.1 Support student participation
Year 8 German colour posters
In order to support student participation, I make sure to include group/pair activities in my lessons, which are inclusive and postive. Students are either put in groups or their groups are picked. When I taught my year 8 German class colours, I put students in pairs and then they created one colour poster each, so that it could be displayed in the classroom. This gave students some ownership of the classroom.
Also refer to Standard 1.3 where I show that I create positive interactions to engage and support students in the classroom.
4.2 Manage classroom activities
Consistent predictable routines
I have consistent predictable routines (CPR) for all of my classes. For my year 9 Yungkurrinthi Marni class during the 15 minute session in the morning, I greet my students by name and ask them how they are. To avoid students using their laptops and their phones, I get students to take part in doing a few Wordles or Moviedles. This de-escalates students and prepares them for the day ahead. In other lessons, such as my year 8 German class, I will ask students what a certain word is in German when I am calling the roll to test their knowledge and understanding. I will also do this at the end of the lesson as an exit routine.
4.3 Manage challenging behaviour
Year 8 German classroom rules
In my year 8 German class in 2021, I had trouble managing challenging behaviour. One of my colleagues suggested that I create a list of classroom rules with consequences if these classroom behaviours were not met. I wrote this list of rules and consequences with the class, and had them sign next to it on the whiteboard, so that they understood that if they broke any of the rules, the consequences were to follow were not a surprise to them. After I implemented these rules and clear consequences, the class was much easier to manage and the class dynamic was much more positive.
4.4 Maintain student safety
Wellbeing Daymap note
In my year 10 German class, I had a student who I knew had some mental health issues, so when this incident occurred in my classroom I was instantly concerned. I did not notice what the student was doing until they had already done it. I took the sharpener away straight away, and created this note on Daymap for the wellbeing leader to follow up.